A EURO MP is campaigning to protect the region's most bashed railway bridges.

Repairing damage caused by lorries to bridges on the West Coast Main Line, which links Manchester with London, cost more than £1m last year. The worst casualty in Greater Manchester is a bridge in George's Road, Heaton Norris, which had been hit 48 times in the past 10 years, closely followed by one in Redhouse Lane, Disley, which has been hit 41 times.

Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Davies has written to Transport Secretary Alistair Darling, calling for changes to the Road Transport Bill to cut the number of bridge strikes.

There is no legal requirement for local councils to tell drivers of the potential risks of low bridges, and Network Rail is asking the government to introduce warning signs. Mr Davies said: "It should be mandatory for local authorities to erect signs warning of low bridges."